1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to breast pump and nipple devices and more particularly pertains to a new breast pump and nipple device for aiding a mother in determining the relative negative pressure, or suction force, required to extract milk from a breast in order to select a bottle nipple having a flow rate corresponding to that negative pressure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of breast pump and nipple devices is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,542,505 describes a device for stimulating a breast for removing breast milk therefrom. Another type of breast pump and nipple device is U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,126 having a suction device and a plurality of nipple stimulations inserts for increasing flow of milk from a breast. A nipple device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,686 and includes a device and method adapted for replicating a human nipple for use during nursing. A generally conventional breast pump assembly is found in U.S. Pat. Design No. 313,103.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that not only is capable of pumping breast milk from a mother, but is also able to measure the relative suction, or pressure, required to suction the milk out of the breast. Once that measurement has been determined, a nipple may be chosen that has a flow rate corresponding to that measurement so that an infant will be more comfortable with drinking from a bottle.